"Delhi Police Hit On My Private Parts With Boots": Jamia Student Narrates Horror

Over 10 female Jamia Millia Islamia University students were injured after the Delhi police tried to stop them from participating in an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act march towards Parliament, on Monday. The police are alleged to have hit girls on their chests with lathis, kicked them on their private parts and punched them in the stomach. The incident occurred just 10 days after a student was shot when a man opened fire on a group of protesters in Jamia Nagar.

Following the incident, the students were admitted to the Jamia Health Centre for injuries. The doctors at the health centre have said that some of the students have been shifted to Al-Shifa hospital.

"More than 10 woman students have been hit on their private parts. We have found blunt injuries on some of the protesters," India Today quoted the doctors as saying. "Some students have also suffered internal injuries as they have been hit on chest with lathis," they added.

A student, who was being treated at the health centre told India Today that a woman cop removed her burqa and rained blows on her private parts with a lathi. "I have been hit on my private parts by cops with boots. One of the woman cops took off my burqa and hit me on my private parts with a lathi," she said.

"I was telling them, please let us protest, but they were pushing us. We couldn't escape as. They were hitting from the below at the private parts. I fainted twice," said another student.

A student also said that the cops were beating them below the belt so that the camera could not capture it. "They were pushing us so hard that we got stuck in stampede four or five times," the student said. "There are women who have been injured in their sensitive parts. I have been hit in the elbow and abdomen. They were hitting us with lathi below the belt so that it didn't come in camera." she added.

According to the authorities at the Al-Shifa hospital, as many as 16 protesters were admitted, of which eight have been sent home. Among these, five are women. One of them is said to be in ICU for "chest and stomach injury and respiratory problems", but is stated to be stable. Most of the others came in a semi-conscious state.

"One of the students have suffered severe injuries, we have shifted him to the ICU," they said.

Protesters Didn't Have Permission: Delhi Police

The call for protest was given by Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), an organisation of Jamia students and alumni. The march began in the afternoon even after the police refused permission. According to the News18 report, both the university and police appealed the students to stop the protest and disperse, but they refused.

The scuffle intensified by 6.00 pm as the students refused to budge and a group of protesters gheraoed the Sukhdev Vihar police station. Some protesters jumped over barricades as police in riot gear tried to stop them. Police said the protesters did not have permission to march towards Parliament.

As per the India Today report, the Delhi Police has filed a case against "violent crowd" that carried out a march against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) from Jamia Milia Islamia to Parliament.

"The Delhi Police, especially the South-East District, showed a lot of patience in handling the aggressive Jamia Students near Holy Family Hospital where they were forcing their way through the police barricades and trying to march to Parliament without permission," the police said in their statement.

"A case is being registered against the violent crowd under relevant provisions of law," the statement further said.

Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar, along with other senior officials of the varsity, visited Al Shifa Hospital on Monday night to see students injured during the altercation with Delhi Police.

Netizens React

The videos and pictures were soon circulated on Twitter triggering an outrage. Many netizens expressed their contempt for the way the Delhi Police handled the incident and extending solidarity for the students.

Also Read: 'Dragged, Beaten, Detained': Petitions Reveal Gory Details Of Police Brutality On People During Anti-CAA Protests In UP